A larger number cannot be subtracted from a smaller number

When I was in Grade 3, my teacher stood tall in front of the blackboard and declared with full authority:
“A larger number cannot be subtracted from a smaller number.”

We all nodded obediently. It felt like a law of nature. Like gravity. Like sunrise in the east.

And then… Grade 6 happened.
The very same classroom, the very same blackboard, and a new teacher said with equal confidence:
“Of course you can subtract a larger number from a smaller one. That’s why we have negative numbers.”

Wait. What?
So, all this while, we were made to believe a “truth” that wasn’t true. Just because someone thought we were too young to handle the abstract.

This isn’t just about numbers. This is about how we prepare children for reality.
Because life isn’t only positive. Negative and positive co-exist. They cancel, they add, they subtract, they balance.

Why then should we delay letting children play with that truth?

That’s exactly why we built Z cards at UNBOX by Launchspace.
A simple, joyful way to introduce positive and negative numbers, addition, subtraction, and integers—through play.
No breaking rules later. No “unlearning” what was once taught as gospel. Just reality, experienced early, in a way that sticks forever.

Because abstract is not out of reach. It’s life.
And children, when given the right tools, are far more ready than we think.

So the real question is—
Shouldn’t we stop underestimating children, and start letting them play with the realities of life sooner?

Try playing Z cards with your child. You will find the link in the comment box below.